Common Nightingale vs Mandarin Duck
Luscinia megarhynchos compared with Aix galericulata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Common Nightingale | Mandarin Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Luscinia megarhynchos | Aix galericulata |
| Order | Passeriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Muscicapidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 16.5 cm (6.5 in) | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 70.0 cm (27.6 in) |
| Weight | 21.0 g (0.74 oz) | 570.0 g (20.11 oz) |
| Diet | Insects and larvae, supplemented with berries in autumn. Forages on or near the ground in … | Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and … |
| Clutch Size | 4-5 | 7-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Common Nightingale
Dense thickets, scrub, and undergrowth in deciduous woodland. Prefers areas with thick ground cover near water.
Mandarin Duck
Wooded lakes, rivers, and ponds surrounded by dense forest. Unlike most ducks, regularly perches in trees and nests in tree cavities.
Song & Call Comparison
Common Nightingale
Considered Europe's finest songster: an extraordinarily rich, loud, flute-like melody of bubbling trills, slow whistles, and a distinctive crescendo 'lu-lu-lu'. Sings day and night.
Mandarin Duck
Male gives a low whistled 'hib' or 'weep'. Female utters a soft quacking 'kek'. Generally quiet and secretive. No loud territorial song; vocalizations subtle and brief.
Geographic Range & Migration
Common Nightingale
Breeds in Europe and western Asia. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa. A long-distance migrant crossing the Sahara.
Mandarin Duck
Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Common Nightingale
Mandarin Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Common Nightingale
Plain warm brown upperparts with a rufous-chestnut tail. Pale greyish-white underparts. Unremarkable appearance belies its remarkable voice.
Thin, pointed, dark brown bill
Mandarin Duck
Breeding males have an elaborate pattern of orange, green, white, and purple with distinctive orange sail feathers on the back. Females are grey-brown with a white eye-ring and stripe.
Small red bill in breeding males, pinkish in females
About These Birds
Common Nightingale
The common nightingale is celebrated as one of the finest songsters in the bird world, inspiring poets from Homer to Keats. Males sing complex phrases of over 250 different types, often at night during breeding season. Despite its famous song, the nightingale is a plain-looking bird that skulks in dense vegetation.
Mandarin Duck
The mandarin duck is widely considered the most beautiful duck in the world. In East Asian culture, mandarin ducks symbolize love and fidelity because they form strong pair bonds. Unlike most ducks, mandarins nest in tree holes up to 9 meters above the ground, and day-old ducklings must leap to the ground.